Beyond Champagne: The Rise of English Sparkling Wine

For decades, if you wanted serious bubbles, you reached for Champagne. No questions asked. But times have changed, and so has our taste for fizz. England’s sparkling wine scene is booming, and not just in a “this’ll do” kind of way. With chalky soils that rival Champagne’s, a cool climate that locks in all that mouthwatering acidity, and winemakers pushing the boundaries, English sparkling wine is officially having its moment. And if we’re talking pioneers, we need to talk about Carr Taylor.

The Magic of the Traditional Method

Most of the best sparkling wines — English or otherwise — are made using the traditional method. This is the same labour-intensive process that gives Champagne its fine bubbles, layered complexity, and signature je ne sais quoi. It all starts with a still, high-acid base wine, which is bottled with a carefully measured amount of yeast and sugar to kick off a second fermentation inside the bottle. The yeast munches on the sugar, producing alcohol and, crucially, carbon dioxide, i.e., the bubbles!

But the real magic happens during aging. Once fermentation is complete, the wine is left to rest on the lees (dead yeast cells), which gradually break down and release flavours of toasted brioche, hazelnuts, and creamy depth. The longer the wine ages on the lees, the more complex and refined it becomes. When the winemaker decides it’s time, the yeast sediment is removed in a process called disgorgement. A small amount of sugar and wine (the dosage) might be added to fine-tune the balance, and then the bottle is corked and ready to pop.

Why English Sparkling is Stealing the Show

Let’s be honest — England wasn’t exactly the first place you’d think of for world-class fizz. But in the last few decades, we’ve quietly become one of the most exciting sparkling wine regions on the planet. Blame (or thank?) climate change, but rising temperatures have nudged our growing seasons into the sweet spot for producing high-quality sparkling wine. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier — grapes that have long been the backbone of Champagne — are thriving in our vineyards, delivering wines with razor-sharp acidity, fine bubbles, and incredible balance.

And it’s not just the weather working in our favour. Much of southern England sits on the same seam of limestone that runs through Champagne, giving our vines the perfect conditions to produce vibrant, structured wines. Excellent drainage helps grapes ripen slowly while retaining that all-important acidity, a key ingredient in crafting elegant, age-worthy fizz.

Talent is another factor driving England’s fizz revolution. A wave of international winemakers — many from New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, and even Champagne itself — have brought expertise, fresh ideas, and a spirit of innovation. English producers are embracing longer lees aging, experimenting with oak, and fine-tuning blending techniques, all of which add layers of complexity to our sparkling wines.

Even the big players have taken notice. Champagne houses like Taittinger have planted vines in Kent, recognising the region’s potential. With each vintage, it’s becoming harder to ignore that England is producing some of the best bubbles around.

Carr Taylor: The Sparkling Wine Trailblazers

Before English wine was making headlines, before it was winning trophies, and before anyone believed we could produce world-class bubbles, Carr Taylor was already making it happen. Established in 1971 in East Sussex by David and Linda Carr Taylor, this family-run vineyard took a gamble on English wine when most people thought it was a lost cause. By 1983, they had done the unthinkable and produced England’s first-ever commercially available traditional method sparkling wine.

Their early success was no fluke. Over the years, Carr Taylor has racked up more than 150 international awards, proving time and time again that English wine isn’t just a novelty. Their wines have impressed judges across the world with their crisp acidity, vibrant fruit character, and elegant mousse standing toe-to-toe with some of the finest sparkling wines out there.

Today, Carr Taylor continues to craft precise, classically styled sparkling wines from their picturesque vineyard just north of Hastings. Whether it’s their classic Brut, with crisp green apple and elderflower notes, or their White Pinot, which brings delicate white peach, apricot, and brioche with a taut minerality, each bottle carries the legacy of a vineyard that helped put English fizz on the map.